Kraljev hrib - Gradišče (Velika planina) (via Sivnik and Rigelj)

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Kamnik, and then we continue driving in the direction of Kamniška Bistrica and cableway on Velika planina. In Stahovica we continue left (direction Kamniška Bistrica and cableway Velika planina) and we follow moderately ascending road to a large parking lot near the bottom cableway station on Velika planina (parking lot is located on the right side of the road).

Path description:
This path isn't a shortcut on which hordes of people would go. The exact opposite. It makes some turn more as it is needed, and there you will meet more chamois than people.
We park at the bottom station of the cableway and we go on a macadam towards Kraljev hrib. At the transformer we turn right on a wide forest road which we leave at feed site and hunting observatory. To here some would come with a car, it is also possible to park. We continue on new, but worse forest road which without warnings ends before Šimnov plaz. From here on leads a well-beaten footpath and we run into a first crossing only after a half an hour. In the middle of beech forest we need to pay attention to a very special beech tree, on which there are arrows for left and right and also a lot of carved graffiti. Left leads fast path on Rigelj, and we go on the right footpath which is noticeably less beaten, as the one on which we came, but easy to follow and undemanding.
Next crossing is at the hunting cottage Sivnik, which we can't miss. Cottage has seen better days and today it is practically just a rubble. The footpath on which we came continues straight past the cottage, and we turn on a poorly beaten hunting footpath which just after the cottage starts in a gentle zig-zags rising by an indistinct ridge of Sivnik. Even experienced eye has to take time, to see the footpath. But when the eyes get used to darkness it also get used to this kind of the footpath and soon it isn't hard to follow the.
Just when we have enough of forest we come on a clearing. It is pretty steep and in the summer in high grass footpath practically isn't visible. We can only feel it under the soles. We get on the clearing below left and after few hairpin turns at the end we leave it above right. Next follows some forest and then new clearing, which we only cross. We leave it a little higher by some rock. From here we already see the next meadow. There we come past a huge rock, which has a hole where water is gathering – water font.
In front of us isn't ordinary clearing but it is a small valley, which is rising steeply right towards the top of Velika planina. Right in the middle of it is a crossing, which is so badly marked, that even Google can't find it. That it wouldn't be too easy footpath doesn't split only on two branches but on three. We came on a footpath which is entering the meadow left below, looking upwards, and we will leave it left upwards. Other two footpaths leaving the meadow in the middle right and above right. There is no panic, we are still on decent hunting footpath, this is still far from pathless terrain. But who doesn't know for this crossing, will hardly notice it and he could go on one of footpaths, not knowing, that there was a choice.
When on the ridge we leave plain the footpath unexpected turns downwards. Many people will be disappointed, because a little while ago the edge of the mountain pasture was almost visible and now footpath goes a little down and a little up and a little more down... That's how it is the main concern for hunters isn't how to get to the top fast as possible. But the footpath on some spots repays with a nice view, rare flower or wild animal, which doesn't see a mountaineer every day.
At the next crossroad, we join the footpath which runs straight on Rigelj. There we would come, if we would at that beech tree turn left. Crossing on a ridge the extension of which is a vantage point. If we want to go there we have to go past huge anthill, which got so big, that because of it a real detour is necessary. But we don't even need to go on a vantage point, because even before there was enough nice view. It is important, that we don't turn left downwards but right steeply upwards. We will soon get to the border of Velika planina. Its pastures are everywhere around and around fenced with metal fence, rarely with wooden or rocky. There where the footpath crosses it are usually nice metal door, which in the summer we have to close. Only footpath over Rigelj has to without the door get through barricade from dry branches.
On the mountain pasture footpath quickly splits and vanishes, because the pastures itself are wide footpath and it doesn't matter where we walk. To reach the peak we have to stick to the right, through Družinski Ror to Zeleni rob, and from there best just below the chairlift to Gradišče.

On the way: Lovska koča Sivnik (975m), Rigelj (1400m), Zeleni rob (1550m)